Saturday, May 25, 2013

I was diagnosed with FAI

I'm a 50 year old woman - not the typical person diagnosed with FAI from what I've learned.  But its important to know my age and that I'm not some super athlete (I'm pretty active but I mostly just walk for exercise - nothing that makes me sweat).  My experience in healing from FAI surgery is likely to be a little different than from many people but its all relative, right?

I had minor hip problems since around age 35 - nothing that slowed me down any but they did start after I have been running 3-5K per day for a few years.  I'd just get a hitch walking now and then like my hip was "stuck".  I never mentioned it to a doctor but I did have to quit running around that time after a broken foot.  That was the end of my "athletic" days.

Around age 47 I started having some lower back problems and what I thought were issues with my SI. I now know that the SI and hip are pretty closely related and it was mostly likely the hips that were causing the SI problems.  

As I was closing in on 49 the hips had gotten gradually worse and getting out of the car or up from a chair after sitting for any length of time was becoming really hard.  I was feeling like I was turning 89, not 49.  A few months before turning 50 I gave in and asked my doctor about it.  After several xrays and a couple rounds of physical therapy, the diagnosis was made with FAI - Femoral Acetabular Impingement.  I decided it was time and opted for surgery on my left hip in mid-May.  I had a "gap" in my busy work schedule that would almost sort of accommodate the 3 weeks I would need to be off.

I was actually pretty shocked when they told me I'd only be off work for 3 weeks.  It seemed everyone I knew at work with a hang nail got at least 6 weeks!  I wasn't so sure that 3 was going to be enough - I was 59 after all - but that's what I planned for.  I prepped the husband and kids and stepped off the plank!

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